JAKARTA - South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said his ministry plans to discuss efforts to ease sanctions against North Korea to strengthen inter-Korean and multilateral exchanges and cooperation.
"To strengthen inter-Korean and multilateral exchanges and cooperation, (the ministry) plans to discuss and seek to ease sanctions," Chung said, quoted by the Yonhap news agency.
"There are several arguments calling for the strengthening of sanctions against North Korea, but, realistically, sanctions against Pyongyang are considered ineffective," the minister added.
Chung said most of North Korea's foreign trade, especially with China, is now partly outside effective control, while Pyongyang considers sanctions themselves to be the most hostile act.
He also said North Korea considers efforts to engage in dialogue with it while still imposing sanctions as unacceptable.
In addition, Chung mentioned the need to create a financial transaction mechanism to facilitate North Korea's foreign trade even amid the imposition of sanctions.
Chung spoke of the need to establish a system that would allow North Korea to import needed goods, such as basic necessities, hygiene products, or medicines, in return for exports of mineral resources and rare earth metals, with transparent payments made to a traceable account.
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